Why do you like Zelda?

[Seliph]

I've never been a huge fan of the Zelda series, the only games I really like are Majora's Mask, Wind Waker and Breath of the Wild.
I've never understood why people like games like Ocarina of Time or Twilight Princess, I just find them disengaging (especially OOT).
So, why do you like Zelda?

 

[Enteking]

I am a huge Zelda fan since Link's Awakening and like the story, music, heart pieces, flask collection, special items and diverse, challenging dungeons. This is why I do not like BotW and I am not alone. Also I did not like MM. Because of the small number of dungeons it did not feel like a whole game, more like a demo and also collecting stray ferries was no fun.

 

[Ryccardo]

To be honest on average I don't like the series either;

but I liked the first game for its no-bullshit approach - you can start the game in 5 seconds, learn the controls and the enemies yourself, and explore the massive world - or you can read the instructions and all the guides you want, but ZERO forced cutscenes or tutorials!

And so I appreciated ALBW (although I did play 50% of it in the form of an unauthorized full free demo before buying it) - while the start of the game is strongly railroaded and like in the first game there's a certain order of items/dungeons to follow, after one or two dungeons you have almost complete freedom - never mind once you unlock the portals - and those octopus kids to collect even encourage you to flip everything you can possibly access upside down!

 

[Proust]

Don't know why, maybe as a kid I got doctrinated by the media to like Zelda....
Most games come across as boring even the well acclaimed Windwaker (but it does have nice moments).
Luckily BOTW came out. The best Zelda game till date, 70 hours in it and didn't bore as much as the others who obviously I've played less. It's refreshing, music is great, visuals are top, FREEDOM(!) finally, challenging, dungeons/ shrines don't feel too long or repetitive, this I already say you're FREE to do what you want? :-)

 

[Sonic Angel Knight]

Well she more helpful to link than princess peach is to mario, still, i mean she doesn't look as appealing to me honestly, and knowing she can change into shiek, a guy with magic, i dunno, maybe some people will like her, i wouldn't.

Oh wait you mean the games in the series... Well i'm not a fan of the series, the plot is more confusing than ever, gives most final fantasy games a run for their story, or even tales games, and star ocean. I like playing a few games, i like the idea of going into dungeon, finding items, using them to solve puzzles that is very clever constructed and allow for people to get a bit more intelligent and smart about how to think a bit wider in terms of survival. Though not every game is like that, early zelda games like on NES, they are cryptic and too difficult for someone who plays with no guide. You basically will use lot more time trying to progress without more could maybe take months to finish instead of a few days or hours.

Zelda 1 is open world cryptic gaming, very little clues and hints, somethings don't make sense, no guide or indication of much progress besides collecting 8 triforce pieces, too many hidden areas that you could only find by either accident discovery or intentional spamming of items. Zelda 2 is 2D side scrolling platform with RPG like elements kinda like simon's quest, fight monsters, level up your stats, learn spells, find upgrades, and fight almost unfair AI enemies that are too strong too early in the game, sound familiar? BREATH OF THE WILD. Not to mention, if you die, you lose all progress, you start all the way back at the palace and have to get back all over again.

Links awakening has a bad story, playing it isn't a issue, but somethings could be improved, link to the past was a huge improvement, ocarina of time isn't that great, but zelda is a bit more involved and not just "Peach's hopeless and useless damsel in distress" status, she helps link lot more with her magic than she probably did in the cartoon. Just it kinda was ground breaking being a first 3D game for the new ULTRA SIXTY-FOURRRRR!

Majora's mask made a very different approach, based on continuing ocarina of time, zelda is less involved, only purpose she serves is the 2 parts, the beginning showing her send link off as he begins new adventure, and reminding he has ocarina of time that is probably used more often that it was in the game that has the title in it! You instead collect mask of dead creatures, inherit use phoenix wright ace attorney game main focus of having Maya fey channel spirits, and inherit the dead mask face persona and use their skill or unique talent to progress even though the dungeon item exist, it kinda takes the purpose of the dungeon item away from existing in this game. Last is the thing i hated the most, the timer. IN this game the story has to do with Skull kid stole majora's mask, a cursed mask that brings destruction upon whoever uses it, in this game, is used to send the moon above termina (location of link's current adventure) into the ground, and it happens at the end of 72 hours (3 days) The whole game works on this 3 Day cycle and using ocarina of time to rewind time back to first day, is the base gimmick of not making it happen. This might have ever been the first time i ever known of a game to use GLOBAL TIME LIMITED EVENTS. O_O

Once again i'm not a huge fan like some others here, i play it cause the game is fun, solving dungeon puzzles with unique items, hook shot, switch hook, dash boots, making blocks, throwing bombs, shooting arrows, using special clothes, hover boots, so many fun items to use, is like another form of a metroid game. None of the story matters to me cause it just seem to get bit out of hand each time, but is a game and a adventure game, it has to have a story that gives reason for the character in the game to achieve a goal and player to strive for to get there, but is gotten out of hand, some characters you expect don't always show up, just hear about it like cameo, not all items are fun to use, i dunno, i could go on but i think i said enough.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

I've been a big fan of Zelda since i first played Ocarina of Time.
Few games manage to get me as engrossed/immersed as Zelda games. I was skeptical to BotW at first since it's so different from previous games, but it was no different in that regard.
It's hard to pinpoint exactly what I love about it, but I'll try to list my top things.

The story - Story plays a big part in immersion in anything, be it a book, a movie or a game. The basics are "Ganon is back and trying to destroy the world, and the legendary hero has to stop him", but there's a lot more to it than that. A lot of NPCs have their own unique (and sometimes weird) personality, and there are lots of smaller substories within the main story (like the whole sad story about what happened to the Zoras in OoT, or the story of Skull Kid's past in MM). All of these little things come together to form a bigger whole.

The world - This also plays a big part in immersion, and is an aspect where BotW really shines. BotW's world is beautiful, and there's just so much to see. I also really liked Ocarina of Time's world, going from the small enclosed Kokiri Forest and out into Hyrule Field for the first time, seeing the scale of the game with Death Mountain and such in the background was an unique experience (mainly as it was one of my first experiences with 3D games). All the areas in OoT are also really interesting and unique.

The dungeons - Easily the best part of most any Zelda game, the way you progress through them and obtain an item in the progress with an epic boss battle at the end feels really rewarding, and the dungeons themselves are usually really interesting with some unique puzzles. This is an area where I felt BotW was disappointing, the dungeons seemed too basic (just "go to these 5 places then return here"), progressing through them didn't really feel rewarding, and the bosses were too easy. And the way the moving parts worked was just confusing and tedious, I didn't feel like it added anything to the game. That kind of gimmick is fine for one dungeon (example: Stone Tower Temple in MM), but shouldn't be the premise of every dungeon in the game.

The soundtrack - Again an aspect where BotW was a bit disappointing, as there isn't much music in the game at all, but a lot of what is there, is great. Music is one of the most important parts in any game for me. It helps me push past tedious/boring/difficult sections without getting bored of the game. An otherwise mediocre game can be turned into a good one if the soundtrack is epic, and a great game into an excellent one. Zelda games would still be great even without the music (as BotW has proved) but that doesn't mean it's not a big part of the experience. Koji Kondo does some excellent work, Dragon Roost Isle and Gerudo Valley have some of my favorite game music ever.

Optional content - There's a lot of fun to be had in doing sidequests or looking for hidden items or upgrades, and it's usually worthwhile. This is another area where I felt BotW kind of disappointed me, as you knew exactly what you would be getting ahead of time - each shrine ends with the same thing, and all the sidequests are crap. Most of the shrines were at least fun to play through, and there's a near infinite amount of optional content. It's not bad, I just wish parts of it were done better. Wind Waker and Majoras Mask were my favorites in this aspect, WW because of all the different areas with varied puzzles and MM because of the large amount of sidequests and collectible masks. But all Zelda games are pretty good in this aspect.

I think that pretty much sums it up.

 

[KingpinSlim]

I love linear-progression puzzle-games with good stories.
Which ought to tell you immediately why i couldn't possibly be any less excited about BOTW.
Also because it is a glitchy, ill-performing mess.
I DO however absolutely love the Game Boy trilogy. Three of the best games i ever played.

 

[Sonic Angel Knight]

I DO however absolutely love the Game Boy trilogy. Three of the best games i ever played.

Can we call it a trilogy? Orcale of ages and seasons are part of the same place and time, not before or after the other.

Still i wish the third game in the bundle was made, wonder why it was cancelled, oracle of secrets, that would be cool title to want people to play. Then the trio would be complete.... HEY Triforce heroes! maybe the legend continues through it. Green, blue, red, Naryu, Din, Fiore, IS COMING TOGETHER! O_O

 

[KingpinSlim]

Can we call it a trilogy? Orcale of ages and seasons are part of the same place and time, not before or after the other.

Still i wish the third game in the bundle was made, wonder why it was cancelled, oracle of secrets, that would be cool title to want people to play. Then the trio would be complete.... HEY Triforce heroes! maybe the legend continues through it. Green, blue, red, Naryu, Din, Fiore, IS COMING TOGETHER! O_O

Because a password-system between three games would have been quite complicated.
Elements of the third game were however integrated into the others!
PS: I just called it a trilogy, i honestly do not know if it CAN be considered an actual trilogy.
But still... my favorite Zelda games of all time.

 

[Sonic Angel Knight]

Because a password-system between three games would have been quite complicated.
Elements of the third game were however integrated into the others!
PS: I just called it a trilogy, i honestly do not know if it CAN be considered an actual trilogy.
But still... my favorite Zelda games of all time.

Don't worry, i get you, still i just wish it had been done. Sometimes i feel maybe devs are too ambitious and over their heads of what they can deliver to the player, but is always a thing of what was planned and what could have been, brings me back to school lunch room rumors, stuff like the TOASTY guy in mortal kombat and secret codes and that banjo-kazooie cartridge swapping thing. Stuff like which makes people wonder what could have been, and if possible would dev try to finish or replicate the idea.

Is not very often we get to hear dev opinions on the games they make, but seeing this game was co-produced by capcom, use links between 2 games like pokemon, had password systems and such, such things make me excited and show off hints i can just ponder for hours, a similar thing exist in Mega man battle network games, maybe capcom used the same kind of knowledge for this zelda game with mega man games, who knows, is all just fun guessing games. If sega can release sonic 2 port to mobile and include a stage that was planned but excluded, like hidden palace zone, that is cool stuff. A zelda mania game that uses excluded ideas to rebuild a new game and maybe new stuff.

 

[KingpinSlim]

Don't worry, i get you, still i just wish it had been done. Sometimes i feel maybe devs are too ambitious and over their heads of what they can deliver to the player, but is always a thing of what was planned and what could have been, brings me back to school lunch room rumors, stuff like the TOASTY guy in mortal kombat and secret codes and that banjo-kazooie cartridge swapping thing. Stuff like which makes people wonder what could have been, and if possible would dev try to finish or replicate the idea.

Is not very often we get to hear dev opinions on the games they make, but seeing this game was co-produced by capcom, use links between 2 games like pokemon, had password systems and such, such things make me excited and show off hints i can just ponder for hours, a similar thing exist in Mega man battle network games, maybe capcom used the same kind of knowledge for this zelda game with mega man games, who knows, is all just fun guessing games. If sega can release sonic 2 port to mobile and include a stage that was planned but excluded, like hidden palace zone, that is cool stuff. A zelda mania game that uses excluded ideas to rebuild a new game and maybe new stuff.

I love things like that, too and i think that not every game is good in an open-world scenario. You use some of that tight gameplay and the storytelling.

There is a reason most books aren't "Chose your own adventure". The whole Beginning-Middle-End formula just works.
Jim Sterling said that and while he is a complete buffoon at times, he was absolutely right this time.